


Bad Buttercup

by hutchabelle



Series: Everlark Holiday Bingo 2020 [5]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: Buttercup really likes the decorations on the tree, but Katniss and Peeta remove the temptation before giving into another one.
Relationships: Buttercup & Katniss Everdeen, Buttercup & Primrose Everdeen, Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: Everlark Holiday Bingo 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070777
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Bad Buttercup

**Author's Note:**

> Square filled and prompt: I4, cat and Christmas tree (image) BINGO!
> 
> Author’s/Creator’s notes: I’m taking down my tree today while my kitten is at the vet. It seemed the safest choice.

Buttercup looked over his shoulder at Katniss and hissed. When she glared at him, he turned his back on her and swatted at the closest decoration—a small ball hanging from a lower branch of the Christmas tree.

“Buttercup, stop!” she yelled, and Peeta chuckled from the doorway.

“You know he’s never going to listen to you. Not when you’ve told him a zillion times, but you haven’t done anything to stop him.”

“Stupid cat,” she muttered. “And you, be quiet. I don’t see you doing anything to control the situation.”

Peeta shrugged and looked at her with a rueful smile. “I offered to help you take down the tree. I figured that was a good enough option. Remove the temptation, and the cat won’t attack the balls.”

“This Kat will attack your balls if you don’t watch it,” she mumbled and snapped to attention when Peeta asked her what she’d said. “Nothing. Nothing. Just help me get this damn thing down, will you?”

Peeta nodded and headed to the hall closet where they’d stashed the boxes when they’d put up the tree and other paraphernalia back in early December. He wasn’t used to having things up for so long, but it was an Everdeen family tradition to leave decorations hanging from Advent all the way through to Epiphany or Three Kings Day. That had finally arrived, and he was ready to have his living room back.

“Can you put the ornament box there?” she asked and smiled gratefully.

Nodding, he opened the container and carefully placed the small crystal goat she handed him inside. It was a special one for Katniss; a symbol of her special relationship with her sister, and he wasn’t surprised that was the one she chose to protect first from the playful kitten. Others followed, one after the other, and she told him stories about each one as he swaddled them in the box and padding for safekeeping. Katniss wasn’t terribly sentimental, so her affection for the ornaments meant he wanted to protect them for her.

“Thanks for your help,” she said softly as she handed him the final ornament. Only the lights remained on the tree, and he took a moment to appreciate the beauty of both her and their first tree together.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he answered, and she beamed. Katniss fought down a rush of emotion, but it was difficult to keep her eyes dry. Her first Christmas with Peeta was special and the more so because he’d acquiesced to so many of her requests.

“Maybe next year we include a few more things you’d like to do?” she suggested.

“I’d love that, but I think we can get started on one right now.”

“What’s that?”

“Let’s leave Buttercup out here to patrol. I have some plans for us in the back of the house.”

“There’s nothing in the back of the house except the bedroom— Oh. Oh!” Peeta grinned at her, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, let’s do that.”

He couldn’t follow her to their bed quickly enough.


End file.
